This invention relates to a configuration for a flexible strip of material suitable for providing an adjustable collar for an animal, including a pet such as a dog or cat.
Conventional flea and tick collars for pets are made up of a strip of flexible polymer material treated with an agent for killing insects, such as fleas and ticks, without harming the pet wearing the collar. The collar is held in position around the pet""s neck by a buckle attached to the strip at one end. The opposite end of the strip is threaded through the buckle, which is typically provided with a barb for digging into the polymer material. The conventional collar is subject to disadvantage. For example, the buckle can be awkward to use for persons lacking dexterity. Also, excess length of the strip protruding from the buckle can interfere with the pet""s movement and should therefore be either secured or removed. Further, the need to provide the buckle and attach the buckle to the strip of polymer material adds significantly to the cost of manufacturing the collar.
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided an article of manufacture comprising a flexible strip of resiliently deformable material, the flexible strip being of substantially uniform cross sectional form and having first and second sides, and wherein the strip has an interior cavity which opens at the first side of the strip, the cavity being wider than the opening, and at the second side the strip is substantially complementary to the first side.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided an article of manufacture comprising a flexible strip having first and second opposite ends, a first side which is substantially uniformly of a first surface configuration and a second side which is substantially uniformly of a second surface configuration, the first and second surface configurations being releasably engageable to form an endless band by overlapping a first length segment at the first end of the strip with a second length segment at the second end of the strip, with the first side of the first length segment confronting the second side of the second length segment, and pressing the overlapping length segments together.